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Subsea  Processing  –  Valve  Makers  Rise  to  the  Challenge  

Brian K Green

Severn Subsea Technologies

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Overview

•  Severn Glocon Group •  Fields of the Future - Subsea Processing •  Valve Technology and Challenges •  Subsea Valve R&D •  New Processing Demands - New Thinking

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Severn Glocon Group

•  With more than 50 years’ experience, Severn Glocon Group provides world-class engineered valve products and services to onshore, offshore and subsea systems across the globe

•  Over 800 employees

•  Facilities in the UK, Middle East, USA, India and Australia

•  Dedicated subsea businesses: LB Bentley and Severn Subsea Technologies

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Fields of the Future

•  Deepwater and ultra-deepwater over 3,000m

•  Difficult environments e.g. Northern North Sea, Arctic, Gulf of Mexico, Brazil

•  Environmental restrictions e.g. Arctic

•  Field types: heavy oil, marginal fields, longer ‘step outs’ (over 300 km)

Fields of the Future

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By 2019 – 11% of Subsea Wells will be HPHT (SLB 2008)

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Fields of the Future - Challenges

•  Cost and logistics driving offshore - subsea processing trends

•  More remote fields

•  Reduction in field development costs

•  Delivering the Subsea Factory

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Subsea Processing

•  Christmas trees, manifolds, pipelines: separation, boosting, injection, and soon gas compression

•  Deepest subsea tree 2,700m

•  Technical limits: 3,000m, -46 C to +205 C, pressure up to 20,000 psi

•  Conventional subsea technologies no longer adequate

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Subsea Processing

•  Greater subsea processing needed to develop some deepwater fields

•  Size, weight and complexity of processing modules

•  Valve developments geared to the new challenge

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Subsea Valve Technology

•  Valves typically used include:

•  choke valve, needle valve, directional control valve, through conduit valve, rotary gate valve, HIPPS etc.

•  Reliability critical

•  Choice determined by fluids, temp, pressure, resistance to processing hazards (hydrogen sulphide, hydrate formation)

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Valve Technology Challenges

•  No such thing as a ‘standard’ subsea valve

•  HPHT conditions:

•  pressures up to 20,000psi

•  broad temperature range -46 C to +205 C

•  Need to reduce weight and size of valves

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LB Bentley

•  Specialist in bespoke Small Bore Subsea Valves

•  Typically used on chemical injection systems

•  Patented, 25 year field proven products

•  Pioneered metal to metal sealing technology

•  Products: rotary gate valves, through conduit gate valves and check valves

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Rotary Gate Valve Technology

•  Key enabling technology for subsea processing systems

•  Smaller and lighter than through conduit and needle valves

•  Simple 1/4 turn operation, metal to metal sealing

•  3/8” to 3/4” range - minimum of moving parts

•  Valve internals cannot be damaged by “over torque”

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Subsea Valve R&D

•  Severn Subsea Technologies - Severn Glocon Subsea R&D

•  Subsea valves, HPHT downhole tools, smart intervention tools, and camera systems

•  DCVs, HIPPS, Stab Plate manufacture assembly and test

•  Key skills: mechanical engineering, heat shielding, electronics and software engineering

•  Precision engineering, Class 7 cleanroom, hyperbaric chamber proof testing up to 425 Bar

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Subsea Valve R&D

•  Development of subsea valves to meet new subsea challenges

•  Integrated systems approach

•  Subsea processing and downhole tools

•  Broaden the scope for Severn Glocon valves subsea

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Directional Control Valves

•  ‘Next generation’ DCVs

•  More adaptable to meet project requirements

•  Compatible with all subsea and surface hydraulic fluids types

•  Material selection for direct immersion in sea water

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HIPPS

•  Mechanical HIPPS (High Integrity Pipeline Protection System)

•  Simpler operation than current electronic HIPPS systems

•  Higher resistance to wax deposition and hydrate formation

•  Remote monitoring without supporting infrastructure

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Rising to the Challenge

•  No such thing as a ‘standard’ subsea valve

•  Valve is a key component in optimising subsea processing equipment design

•  New subsea processing demands and current procurement practices mismatch

•  Greater collaboration needed between operators and vendors

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Valve as Design & Processing Enabler

•  Valve is part of the solution to achieving a range of design and performance objectives

•  Small bore rotary valves now up to 1” - allowing replacement of larger and heavier through conduit, and needle valves – greater reliability

•  Compact subsea process equipment design makes size, shape and interface more important than ever

•  ROV interfaces and hydraulic connections - optimise interfaces and flexible mounting configurations

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Conclusion

•  Need intelligence-led approach to valve specification

•  New thinking needed to ensure valve location and interfaces fully optimised – tap into valve makers’ experience

•  Avoid complexity - simple operation

•  Valve envelope dimensions can be customised to fit available space, for example, stem extensions, panel mounted, dual and quad block

•  Involve valve manufacturer earlier at feasibility / FEED stage

31/01/13  

www.severnst.com Severn Subsea Technologies

Thank you